


The Undead Of The 11th Division

by ApothecaryJellyfish



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arrancar, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Hollowfication, Light Smut, Multi, Original Character(s), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Winter War (Bleach), Sensuality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 06:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17637929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApothecaryJellyfish/pseuds/ApothecaryJellyfish
Summary: The return of someones who were presumed dead has caused a stir in the strongest division of the Gotei 13. Memories are brought up and bring some joy, but also bring about anger and destruction.The fall of a pillar is not uncommon, but this time her former family and her rival are here to see her strength deteriorate through the constant tests of a certain Captain.





	1. Dreams Of Past

**Author's Note:**

> Suggest tags for me to add!

_Jyuushiro Ukitake was not one to ever look past the ruined situations of the outer Rukongai, in fact, he tried as best he could to get the decaying buildings rebuilt to new through the work of his family._

_Doing this brought quite a bit of joy to people, and while there he had inspired several people to join the newly formed Shinigami Academy that he would be attending as soon as the doors opened this coming spring._

_Today was a rather good day for a few families that just received a welcoming party to their newly built home, but not for his health. Regardless, he'd made the trip to give a few housewarming gifts before moving on to scout the nearby area and mark which houses were the worst so they could be fixed up first._

_The houses were near a beautiful field of flowers, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see a rather small, but tall rectangle of a house where the field met the woods, a large pomegranate tree seeming to eat most of the top half of the house._

_Curious, Ukitake made his way across the field and to the only visible door of the house. Upon getting within 3 feet of the knob, he could hear a rather faint humming from the inside of the house as well as what sounded like the slight clattering of clay and glass, like someone was washing dishes or putting them away._

_Putting a quick ear to the door, Ukitake slightly recognizes the tune from a rather old song he'd heard a street vendor play on an odd string instrument during his childhood. Maybe this could be the same person, but he highly doubted it._

_Only one way to know._

_Knocking on the door gently, the light clattering inside immediately stops and the sound of rustling comes through along with the sharp click of the lock._

_Unbeknownst to Ukitake, the door that he thought was a whole, was actually two separate doors, the top half opening a small sliver, only darkness peering back out at him._

_"May I help you?" a voice whispers out and Ukitake was taken a bit aback by the incredibly pleasant tone of the voice that spoke. It was so deep and mellow, like if molasses were to have a speaking sound. He couldn't quite tell from the lack of volume, but he was quite sure it was a man that had spoken._

_"I'm not quite sure, but I am very curious. What is this building?" Ukitake asks and the top door opens a little wider._

_"This is the Yugo Apothecarium and residency. Do you have an order to place or pick up?" the man asks, this time his voice a little louder and more identifiable, sounding like an adult leaning towards the more mature age, although nothing in the Soul Society was an exact thing._

_"Apothecarium huh? Hmm...is there a way for me to order something? I'm dealing with an illness, but not quite sure if you could help me?" Ukitake says with a little sigh._

_"No soul is a lost cause here. Orders are not off a list, but a consultation. Today I would usually be closed for rest, it is the 1st of the month, but you...are of interest." the man says, his voice still not above a medium whisper, but tinged with new warmth._

_Ukitake is patient as the top door closes and then locks again, a different sounding lock turning before the entire door opens up to reveal the individual he'd been speaking with._

_He was rather tall, incredibly well muscled, and of darker skin than Ukitake was used to seeing._ _His mystical pastel lavender hair was barely chin lengthed and half of it was pulled up into a ponytail, asymmetrical wispy bangs coming down on a forehead with a pastel green line painted across it with dots on either side._

_The man's most striking feature was his eyes. They were a glowing pale grey that shifted in an iridescent way between grey and lilac, small speckles of a rich Tyrian purple gathered near the deep black pools that made up his pupils._

_"Come in. Please sit on the chair." the man says before stepping aside to let Ukitake enter and get a good of the place, which seemed to be one tall room with a roof made of glass panes._

_In the center of the room was a small table with a chair, three tall candles and a black porcelain pitcher of what was presumably water. Ukitake noticed that underneath the table was a solid and sturdy looking metal hatch, possibly leading to a cellar, or as the man had mentioned, the residency part of the building._

_The wall to the left and right of the door were both filled to the top of the tall man's head of small square drawers, each with a small brass knob used to open it. The wall at the back had 6 shelves on either side of an incredibly cluttered desk, each shelf lined neatly with same sized black porcelain bottles stopped with little pointed top corks. On either side of the door was actually a ladder, one normal wood and one rope._

_But above the shelves and drawers, was the really impressive part. Across the space between each wall and all the way up to the ceiling were crisscrossing ropes where plants grew in handwoven baskets, each hung and knotted onto the ropes in a neat grid. Plants were also mounted upon the walls in the same neat grid, but underneath them, Ukitake could see beautifully detailed hand-painted murals depicting raging oceans and sparkling sunny beaches, raging waves and storm grey skies._

_Ukitake continues to marvel at the space even after he's sat down at the table and the man has sat at the stool by the cluttered desk._

_"This place is beautiful." Ukitake mumbles and the apothecary nods with a hum of an agreement, "It took years to build, but I'm very happy with it. I'm yet to be able to get flowers to bloom in here, but the garden I have set in the woods flourishes year round as a compromise."_

_"You seem very dedicated to your work. Was this passed down to you?" Ukitake asks, letting his curiosity get to the better of him above manners._

_The man shakes his head and crosses his arms loosely, "I entered this world alone...I've walked this same home alone for centuries. Curiosity during a time of many wars drove me to desire to heal old wounds instead of making new ones. I was never one to want death in the first place, so I try my hardest to prevent unnecessary lives from being lost."_

_"I think it's wonderful that you chose this path, you seem to have a natural affinity for it. Do you suppose you could help even I, who is not dying but wish not to be so ill?" Ukitake asks and those oddly entrancing eyes lock on his._

_"I will never turn a sick person away, and I will certainly try. Let me see your chest, just where your heart lies." the man says and Ukitake nods a little hesitantly._

_He opens part of his robes just enough while the man rises from his stool and walks towards him, crouching next to the chair and uncrossing his arms, an air of gentle patience surrounding them._

_The man is swift but graceful in raising his left hand to delicately press the palm against Ukitake's chest, his right coming up to place two fingers against the space between the shironette's eyebrows._

_The two men are silent and calm as the apothecary keeps his hands in place and closes his eyes in concentration, his breathing deepening like he was asleep before going silent._

_Ukitake could feel the thumping of his heart against his ribs and the heat that was building at the center of his brows, each passing second drawing out into a small eternity of peaceful syncronized symphony._

_Ukitake is struck with the sudden feeling of emptiness and takes a moment to realize that he as well had closed his eyes and now had to open them to see that the tall man had pulled away and was now heading towards his desk._

_"I will have your drink ready in one moment, it should alleviate all symptoms until the next new moon, I will prepare you one dose to make yourself at home on that night, and it will again last until the following new moon. The second dose will be a powder you will mix with hot water and let sit for at least 3 minutes before drinking. I will write the instructions on the back of the package." the man quickly explains and Ukitake raises an eyebrow._

_"You know what's wrong with me from just that? You didn't even ask what was wrong." the white-haired man says as he readjusts his robe, closing them up tight as a slight cold draft enters the room._

_"It's a talent of mine. This medicine will not cure you forever, nor can I ever give you more than two doses of this, as it is very strong and would most likely kill you. It will only help you heal what was damaged and guide you to better days...I cannot reverse or cure what is permanently in your fate." the man says, his tone turning rather damp and as if he was disappointed in himself._

_"My fate?" Ukitake asks, watching closely as the man darts around, opening and closing drawers, tossing pinches and sprinkles of things into a mortar bowl, before moving on to the shelves of bottles, uncorking and pouring the contents from a few into a small cup that he then places in front of Ukitake._

_"Drink this, every drop," he says before going back to his desk to add fresh leaves and strands of root from a few plants in reach of his desk into the mortar before grinding them up with a large metal pestle._

_Bringing the cup to his lips, Ukitake notices the faint rosy smell and the matte look the dark liquid had to it. The first sip went down with some struggling. Despite moving like a thin liquid, the drink was actually quite thick like sticky syrup, and despite the sweet smell, it was actually incredibly bitter, Ukitake slightly gagging at the initial taste._

_"Your lungs will burn like fire within the coming dusk as it works, cleansing what it can and then soothing what it cannot." the apothecary comments and Ukitake hums in understanding before downing the rest of the liquid, noting that it didn't seem to stick to the ceramic of the cup, allowing him to do as instructed, drinking every last drop._

_The apothecary turns on his stool, wrapping a thick brown paper around a small black box and tying it with rough twine. With the finishing knot, he turns it over and scratches small but neat letters into the paper, the instructions for the next dose's preparation._

_The apothecary stands and walks over to Ukitake before reaching out a hand palm up, the little package resting there now slightly glowing purple, wrapped in an almost invisible layer of Reiatsu._

_Taking it from him, Ukitake notices a rather large, thick, indented scar running diagonally across the man's palm from pinky to the part of his wrist where the thumb's bottom joint started._

_The man notices Ukitake's look and quickly turns his hand over, turning his back to go back to his stool, "I wouldn't suggest you come here again in search for new medicines concerning your illness. I've provided all I can for it, anything else would be ineffective or lethal. Feel free to come by should anything else ail you or a friend."_

_Ukitake smiles warmly before standing, "I understand. How much do I owe you for the medicine? Anything else for coming on a day you weren't supposed to normally service me?"_

_The apothecary bows and shakes his head, not turning away from his desk._

_"I do not ask for money. Money truly means nothing in this world, not to me anyway. The true value is in making a soul healthy again while it lives here, and then into its next life elsewhere. Knowing that I've done my best for just one soul, no matter how big or little a change is made, and overlooking my own doom, is enough payment for me."_

_Ukitake takes a moment of silence to think on that, mulling over the information over and over again as the apothecary starts to tinker around with something at his desk._

_"Would you...perhaps, like to join the Shinoreijutsuin, become a Shinigami? Its first year is of entry is coming later this spring, anyone can apply to enter." Ukitake says, standing up and approaching the tall man, not touching him, but giving plenty of indication that he was close._

_The man is silent for a moment before answering, "I suppose I might. I've heard of this before from locals, some excited to send their sons and daughters to be great warriors. Although, this here...is very important. It has been my life's work and I don't wish to abandon it quite yet."_

_"I would like to think you'll attend one day, you would make a strong Shinigami. And be assured that this won't be the only year the Academy is open, it will live just as long as any of us, for future generations and fates to enter and leave with badges of honour." Ukitake says with a small smile and the man slowly looks up at him, his oddly coloured eyes full of deep sadness._

_"The world will not change very much with or without me. I am not the one meant to turn the world on its head. They will come in a generation much further in the future than where we stand now..."_

_"I am nothing but the last of a dying era."_


	2. Ancient Arrivals

Ukitake wakes up to the sound of light rain pattering on the roof and a light, warm breeze drifting through his room with a sense of calm.

There is a light knocking on the door and Ukitake sits up, pulling his nearby robe over his shoulders.

"Come in," he says and the door slides open, Shunsui Kyoraku sliding in and giving the shironette a knowing smile.

"How are you today my friend?" the brunet asks, walking across the room and sliding the outer doors open, exposing the view of the koi pond and the gloomy sky, everything in the garden shining dully with fresh rain.

"I think today will be a good day despite the weather. It's pleasantly warm, and I don't believe I have much work scheduled for today." Ukitake says with a smile and Kyoraku chuckles.

"I actually think for once Nanao-chan can say the same. I thought I'd surprise her by going on a little working spur last night rather than let her stay up till dawn trying to finish it. I think she'll be happy to see it's all been caught up so she can have a free day."

Ukitake rolls his eyes playfully before looking out at the garden, "You should do that more often Shunsui or one day that poor girl is going to let you drown in paperwork and ink."

The two men banter back and forth for a while, enjoying the peace of the day when a sudden wave of unsettling dread rolls over them like a heavy fog.

"Jyuushiro...do you feel that?"

"Yes, unfortunately. It feels like when a Gillian appears, but stronger." Ukitake comments and Kyoraku shivers a little as the feeling intensifies slowly, but noticeably.

"An Adjuchas then?" the brunet asks and Ukitake shakes his head, "I don't think so. It feels even stronger now, but not entirely Hollow."

"An Arrancar then? Or a Vizard?"

"I'm not sure. It's too much like a Shinigami, but stronger, mixed. This isn't anyone we know, not from here at least." Ukitake sighs, fighting the tightening of his chest as a level of panic starts settling alongside the feeling of irrational fear.

Kyoraku was going to say something more but instead, his thoughts are interrupted by the sharp sound of the warning alarm and several Jigokuchou flying close.

_"ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS TO SOKYOKU HILL. A GARGANTA HAS APPEARED AND INTENDS TO OPEN. SEATED OFFICERS ARE TO PATROL AND GUARD THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVISION'S HEADQUARTERS AND BARRACKS. I REPEAT!_ _ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS TO SOKYOKU HILL."_

"Looks like something's happening, something big. They wouldn't bother calling all of us if there's nothing to be worried about. Do you think there's going to be another invasion?" Kyoraku asks, lending down a hand to help his friend stand and quickly tie on his shihakusho and pull on his haori.

"If it was going to happen it wouldn't be like this. Aizen is well put away, so I don't believe anyone who might follow in his footsteps would have good direction. Only someone incredibly brave or incredibly ignorant would think to come to the Seireitei to start an invasion." Ukitake comments as they exit the quiet home and start towards Sokyoku Hill.

The rain comes down heavier and heavier the closer they get, but the rain is actually rather peaceful without any wind to cause chaos. The individual raindrops feel like dropped pebbles by the time they arrive next to the rest of the Captains at the Hill, the seam of a painstakingly slow opening Garganta close to the edge of the cliff.

Several of the Captains and Lieutenants looked ready to fight, some calmer than others, but a general feeling of nervousness covers the group like a thick paste as the attendance sheet fills up. Nanao arrives close to last and immediately takin her place next to Kyoraku while Rukia spots her Captain and runs over from where she'd originally stood next to Byakuya and Renji.

"Is it going to open any time soon? This doesn't feel like a normal Garganta...I can barely breathe with all the rain and humidity." Rukia comments, putting a hand to her chest and looking up at her Captain.

"I'm not sure. Whoever is behind it is sure taking their sweet time. I have a feeling it's not someone who normally opens one. It could be an inexperienced Hollow...or someone playing games with us." Ukitake comments and Rukia looks back towards the Garganta

Suddenly, an incredibly loud scream of a Hollow's warble explodes from the Garganta as it tears open fully all of a sudden, a mixture of a powerful wind and an even more powerful Reiatsu bursting through to crash and swallow the Shinigami present, some of the smaller bodies falling over and Momo even passing out in Shinji's arms.

All Shinigami present that are able to jump into attack positions, do so immediately as the first sight of a person finally starts to come into view slowly from the pitch black depth of the Garganta, but the positions are quickly dropped as the heavy Reiatsu retreats and the person becomes visible, revealing the shocking state of them as the Garganta slams shut behind them.

The person who had staggered out of the Garganta was massive in height, around 6' 9", and body from what they could see, a large tattered-hem white cloak with floor length sleeves and a long drooping hood was haphazardly covering their form, red soaking through and splattered all over the front of the cloak and entirely over the smaller, curled up form in their arms.

A deep gurgle escapes the cloaked figure before the white garment slides off and reveals the person underneath.

It was a woman with dark chocolate skin and a massive muscular build underneath it, her waist-length pastel lavender hair was streaked with grey and styled in a combination of a dreadlocked mohawk with the sides reverse french-braided forward to the tails would frame the sides of her face. She was dressed in a black floor-length, sleeveless, backless, halter dress, a diamond cut out from her collarbone to her navel with dual skirt slits to her sharp boned hips. 

From the dress's cut, one could see white tentacle tattoos wrapping around various parts of her body, 2 over her shoulders and down her chest to curl under her ample bosom, 2 down her arms to the crook of her elbows, 2 pulling from her sides down to her pelvis, and the final 2 wrapping around her thick thighs to the middle of her shins. 

The Omnitsukido people who'd flashed behind her already were able to see that the tentacles were part of a massive Kraken tattoo spreading across the woman's back. They'd also been able to see the lilac underside of the cloak, as well as a faded outline of the Kanji 11 inside the Gotei 13 rhombus on the back of it.

The most horrifying thing aside from the woman's half-closed eyes and heavily tear-streaked face was the fact that she'd been mangled down the front by something, almost completely bisected starting from her hanging tongue and split jaw to her navel, her throat, ribs and torso slightly gaping and still oozing fresh blood.

"Hellhghhhh...Helg...Ngnhhhh..." the woman gurgles out, new blood gushing as she tries to speak, her arms weakly trying to hold out the body in her arms, veil parting a bit to reveal half of a pale face smeared with blood.

Unohana is the first to understand and speeds towards the pair, but the large woman collapses first, body moving instinctively to curl sideways as not to crush the second person under her presumably heavy body.

The scene is a bit of an icebreaker and stirs the rest of the Shinigami present to start taking action, threat and rain forgotten as a final bubbling sound escapes the woman's throat and she reaches out in attempt to pull herself away from the second body to allow them to be attended by Unohana.

It's then Ukitake sees something in the woman's outstretched hand that makes his blood run cold and his heartbeat pick up to an immense speed, memories flooding his mind and leaving him to stand in shock.

A rather large, thick, indented scar ran diagonally across the woman's palm from her pinky to the part of her wrist where the thumb's bottom joint started.


	3. Morning Scandals

The woman's eyes snap open and are immediately blinded by a bright light shining directly on her from above.

Letting out a groan she sits up, her body feeling empty and weighed down at the same time, her memory cloudier and fuzzier than a storm wrapped in a thick sweater.

She's covered in nothing but panties and a thin sheet, a metal operation table underneath her and nothing around her in the room aside from a door directly in front of her and a saline bag hooked up to an IV on the back of her hand.

Letting out a groan the woman rips the IV out and wraps the sheet around her before getting up, the world immediately pitching and spinning around her, causing her to drop straight to the ground with a painful THUNK!

"I wouldn't suggest moving too much, you have just been operated on."

The woman whips around sharply, just in time to see the last of the camouflage peeling off Mayuri as he steps away from the wall by the door. 

"Take a look and tell me how good a job I did." Mayuri comments, motioning towards the woman with a hand, looking her up and down.

The woman pauses for a second before unwrapping the sheet and looking at herself. Where she'd been sliced was now a deep dent of a scar running from above her navel to her bottom lip, the lip actually split as well, exposing some of her bottom teeth and gums, rather...her _missing_ bottom teeth.

The woman quickly reaches into her mouth to find her frontmost 4 bottom and top teeth missing, the consecutive teeth her large double set of fangs. Reaching further back, she finds her tongue functional but also split, as well as her uvula.

"Unfortunately, even with all my work I couldn't repair your vocal cords fully, so you won't be able to speak like a person, but you can still are capable of various sounds. I think you'll appreciate my decision to keep your tongue split, if not I believe your partner will."

The woman snaps to look at him again, taking barely a second to cover herself again before lunging at the man clumsily, something clearly muddying her system as dizziness hits, but does hardly anything to stop her from grabbing the scientists throat and pinning him against the wall, a deep guttural growl ripping painfully out of her throat.

"Did I strike a nerve? I can't fully understand the sounds animals make you know." Mayuri sneers, only to have the fist around his throat tighten considerably, alerting him immediately that he'd made a mistake in taunting her. 

She was absolutely not one who was going to hesitate in killing someone, but whether it was a protective trait or a general trait he did not know and was not in the best position to find out.

Suddenly the woman lets him go, a strange look passing over her iridescent lilac glazed grey eyes in the moments before she turns and kicks down the door beside him, speeding out into the halls of the S.R.D.I., slamming and banging against the walls in her disorientation as she tries to find her nearest exit.

Eventually, Mayuri hears another crash and realizes his second mistake, not making the walls out of Sekkiseki and putting her in an outer facing room, leaving her to easily get out and run around the Seireitei.

The woman barrels through the Seireitei, effectively alerting the Shinigami officers just going around their day, hardly anyone expecting that a half-naked woman would dash past them, her head becoming clearer and clearer as she worked the drugs out her body as she ran.

Eventually, she finds herself slamming open the doors of the Captain's Assembly Hall so hard that the doors hit the walls and her sheet comes loose, falling to the floor as she searches the room for what she was looking for.

She spots the wide conical hat with floor length, opaque, monochromatic diamond checkered veil hanging down from the brim among the small group of Yamamoto, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Kenpachi, Unohana and their Lieutenants, minus Yachiru who was off napping on Ikkaku.

Ukitake and Yamamoto are the first to look away from the half-dressed woman but the women don't really turn and neither does Kyoraku who tips his hat down but still clearly peeks and Kenpachi who wasn't bothered by nudity any considering that the 11th Division had women and anyone could lose clothes in training battles.

Swayed over with relief as the veiled figure turns around, the woman stumbles over to them and pulls them into a hug, the difference in height large enough to where the small figure was almost completely enveloped by the dark-skinned woman despite the very large conical hat.

Unohana is quick to pull the tattered edge cloak-like haori the woman had arrived in and drape it over her as a cover while the rest regain composure and observe the pair, the woman finally letting the figure go and pulling back the veils of the hat, revealing 11 layers of similarly patterned veils and the woman underneath them all.

Standing at around 5' the porcelain white woman was quite delicate looking with her lean-borderline-frail structure and slightly boney joints. The top half of her thigh-length hair was pulled up into a braided bun, the rest hanging loose in gentle waves of silvery white.

She was dressed in an off-shoulder mini tube dress with long belled sleeves and a monochromatic striped pattern, no shoes, hundreds of silver bangles decorating her forearms, thighs and ankles, and a lone blue/green crystal ring sitting on her left ring finger.

Her most distinguishing features were the sharp teeth of a Hollow mask lining her hairline, the Hole right in the center of her head, the dark grey diamond Estigma printed on either corner of her lips, and her curiously different eyes.

Her left iris was a swirling pool of metallic blue/violet magic while in contrast, her right iris is a marvellous rich coffee brown, her pupils diamond shaped and currently fully closed from the exposure to light. Both above and under each eye she had two beauty marks lined up vertically, like if someone had tried to mark where incisions would be made to bisect her eyes.

"You look well my love, I'm glad you've been healed. I hope you didn't cause too much trouble getting here. I would have stayed by your side, but we have a few matters that need to be discussed now that you're here." the smaller woman says before turning to the group of Shinigami before them.

"Former Lieutenant of the 11th Division, Sachiko Umino and former Captain of the 11th Division and 6th Kenpachi, Hyza Yugo." Yamamoto states, drawing the attention of the larger woman as she slides into her haori, pulling it closed around her large body and pulling the massive hood down over her face, hiding from the world once more.

"Welcome home."


	4. History Lesson

"It has been over 500 years since your disappearance, you have quite a lot to explain." Yamamoto comments.

"Okay, I get why all the old people are here by why me? I don't know her." Kenpachi interjects and a quick glare from Yamamoto has him frowning.

"This is your predecessor, and with her existence, there are some new complications in who will rightfully hold the title of Kenpachi. We have never had a case of a Kenpachi disappearing and the title being passed down, rather than earned, and then having the missing person return." Yamamoto explains and Kenpachi rolls his eye.

"Now, where have you two been? It's been so many generations, sadly we're the only ones left to remember that you were a Captain." Ukitake comments, shifting to sit a little closer to the large dark woman.

After having busted in half nude, they were witness to seeing the dress she'd arrived in materialize over her again, as well as a choker made of several sized shards of a blue/green crystal that matched Sachiko's ring. She'd then quickly pulled her oversized haori over her body, the hood drooping low and gloomily, the sleeves reaching the floor, the bottom edge pooling like water around her feet, and the tattered hems giving her an air of mysteriousness as if she'd just come from an entirely different world, one of barren darkness.

"500 years ago, when we went on that mission to explore the increased Hollow activity in Hueco Mundo, we were ambushed by the team of seated officers sent with us. As you know, most of the 11th Division despised our particular...situation...and decided to act upon it on arrival." Sachiko explains, a deep seriousness to her tone.

"I believe only two officers returned. They'd claimed a Vasto Lorde appeared and then attacked you two first, killing you. They said they managed to escape by the skin of their teeth. Is that true?" Yamamoto asks and Hyza slowly shakes her head, extending a hand to touch Sachiko's shoulder.

A deep rumbling sound emerges from the larger woman and Sachiko sighs, "No. Not at all. There were no Hollows around until much later, we were indeed the ones who killed those who did not return, but in self-defence. When they attacked they managed to wound me first and weaken Hyza. They had learned strong levels of Kido despite the traditions of the Division and used it to restrain us until they could open a Garganta with the travelling device they'd stolen from us, and abscond, leaving us wounded and unable to return."

"And then what? How did you become an Arrancar? You were a Shinigami before." Kyoraku asks, saving the room from a silent pause of processing by asking the question everyone had in mind.

Hyza shifts uncomfortably and a weight descends on the room as her Reiatsu bubbles out from her in a feeling of discomfort and tender sadness.

"I...was wounded. In a final attempt to save my own life, my Zanpakuto spirit and my Fullbring abilities merged. It turned me into a Hollow, and not only any Hollow...but a Vasto Lorde."

Shock collectively overtakes the weight of Hyza's Reiatsu and Kenpachi is the first to understand, "Is that how those  _things_  are made?"

Hyza's head snaps in his direction and lets out a sharp, warbling hiss at hearing him say the word 'thing', causing Sachiko's face to fall slightly and for Unohana to reach over and grab the purplenette's hand, Hyza quickly calming down under the smaller woman's grip.

"No. Not necessarily. The creation of Vasto Lorde class Hollows is unique to each and their own. I hadn't expected to turn into a Hollow and tried to stop the two from merging, I'd assumed that I would simply lose my Fullbring and my Zanpakuto and revert into a normal, if not extremely low powered, Soul." 

"When I realized I would become a Hollow I tried to interfere and stop the process, I would have rather been dead than become an enemy capable of killing Hyza. Instead, I was also consumed by the merging and was put into a chaotic state, no part of my being was able to assume control and function, so I was like a Gillian conscious trapped in a powerful body."

The mood of the room calms but saddens as Sachiko swallows hard and continues to explain, Hyza putting both hands on her partner's shoulders and kneading lightly in an attempt to get Sachiko to relax a bit.

"Hyza was able to break out of her restraints and run away as I descended into an uncontrollable madness. Once she'd managed to heal herself, she came back to kill me, end my suffering...but instead, with power uncontrolled and greater than hers, I hurt her worse. She'd managed to crack my mask and I became an Arrancar, we entered an odd limbo of wounds we could not recover from and no way to return home for help."

"10 days ago, I became too weak to stand. The needed materials to feed our souls was not enough. I'd been hunting small Hollows to consume, but anything larger stayed away because our Reiryoku was spread wide as a warning. I watched as Hyza tried to open a Garganta to come back home. I watched as an Adjuchas opened one close by and attacked her, and I watched as she killed it, grabbed me and dashed through the Garganta before it closed with no way of knowing if we'd survive the trip, make it where we were going, or even if we could maintain the road." Sachiko murmurs and Hyza squeezes her shoulders hard enough that pops were heard, worry circling the room until they see the relaxed expression on the smaller woman's face.

"Although, if you had returned before the war against Aizen had happened or the re-appearance of Vizards, Sachiko being in the Soul Society would have mandated an execution. Times and views have changed since then, but nonetheless, we're glad you returned in time to be saved." Unohana comments and Hyza tenses up severely, her Reiryoku flaring up enough to make those present feel like they had a hand around their neck.

"Can we get to the part where I stay Kenpachi and she doesn't? Even if she's back, I still earned my spot and she ain't taking it away from me." Kenpachi states, crossing his arms and drawing the attention to him.

Yamamoto sighs in a bit of annoyance but still speaks on the matter. "The only thing would be to go about it the traditional way, a battle. The winner would rightfully hold the title of Kenpachi whether through death or submission. The winner would also get the title of Captain of the 11th Division back."

Hyza lets out a sharp hiss and Sachiko shakes her head, speaking as Hyza lets out a short string of hums and mutterings.

"She does not want to fight. It is against what she stands for. In this case, she believes he will hold the title unless she wants to take it back, but she does not. We no longer want our old positions and would rather be affiliates of the Gotei 13 and the 11th Division. Strength is one thing, taking of lives is another." Sachiko states with a stone cold expression, quickly shutting the veils of her conical hat in an indication of not wanting to say more.

"When Hyza left, the second strongest Shinigami became Kenpachi, they did not earn the title in the way that you two did, by killing their predecessor. They had the title passed, and thus a less true line of Kenpachis was made. A battle of this nature would truly determine and restore the honesty of the title." Yamamoto contemplates and both women bow their heads.

"Although I cannot make you fight, you may remain here as you please and on your own accord. We will officially consider you allies and affiliates of the Gotei 13. We hope there is a resolution to this situation soon." the Captain Commander sighs and Sachiko raises her head.

"We thank you. We've missed this place more than it has missed us...yet we can still call it our home, as it has always been."


End file.
